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Winemaker's Notes

The 2005 Sauvignon Blanc marks the first vintage of 100 percent estate-grown fruit from the vineyards surrounding the winery. Grapes are all handpicked and pressed without crushing and destemming to give a fresh and clean distinctive characteristic. Cold fermentation in a high percentage of stainless steel barrels allows us to capture and display the zesty and fragrant flavors in the bottle. While a subtle textural richness is added by using a small percentage of new oak barrels, the fruit-forward nature is maintained.

Provenance Vineyards

Provenance Vineyards showcases the distinctiveness of Napa Valley's best growing areas for red wines by selecting some of the finest Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards in the Rutherford and Oakville districts and Merlot vineyards in the Carneros district. The same uncompromising approach also characterizes Provenance winemaking, with the goal of bringing the grapes from these great vineyards to their fullest potential. Starting with its inaugural 1999 vintage, Provenance's approachable, yet cellar-worthy wines display a fine symmetry of substance and elegance.

The word provenance means "origin" or "source." In the art world, a provenance is the record of a work’s ownership, from its creation to the present day. Connoisseurs place great importance in provenance as a guarantee of authenticity. The name reflects Provenance Vineyards' goal of creating fine wines that are works of art.
View all Provenance Vineyards Wines

About Napa Valley

It's hard not to think of Napa Valley when thinking of California wines. The region is, after all, the one that brought world recognition to California wine making. The area was settled by a few choice wine families in the 1960's who bet that the wines of the area would grow and flourish. They were right. The Napa wine industry really took off in the 1980's, when vineyard lands were scooped up and vines were planted throughout the county. A number of wineries emerged, from large conglomerates to small boutiques to cult classics. Cabernet Sauvignon is definitely the grape of choice here, with many winemakers also focusing on Bordeaux Blends. Whites are usually Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

Notable Facts

Within the Napa Valley lie smaller sub-AVAs that lend even more character specifics to the wines. Furthest south is Carneros, followed by Yountville, Oakville & Rutherford. Above those two is St.-Helena and finally, just grated an AVA, Calistoga. These areas are situated on the valley floor and are known for creating rich, smooth Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay. There are a few mountain regions as well, nestled on the slopes overlooking the valley AVAs. Those include Howell Mountain, Stags Leap and Mount Veeder. Wines from the mountain regions are often more structured and firm, benefiting from more time in the bottle to evolve and soften.

About California

It's not rare to see a wine's country of origin listed as "California." A country into itself in the wine world, California makes enough varieties and styles to match many European wine countries. It produces a diverse range of wines that span the quality spectrum.

The most famous of the California wine regions is Napa Valley, and these wines are certainly outstanding – but it's not as broad and diverse as its larger neighbor, Sonoma County. Down south, Santa Barbara's Santa Maria Valley is well-known for its Rhône blends, as well as cool-climate varieties like Pinot and Chardonnay. The Central Coast, the largest California AVA, has many different microclimates that lead to a wide range of wines with many sub-AVAs.

Michael Griva planted this special vineyard for Bernardus in the Arroyo Seco appellation, which sits just south of the Santa
Lucia Highlands appellation in the Salinas Valley. The soils are very sandy and rocky which, along with the sunny, breezy ...

Alcohol By Volume Guide

Most wine ranges from 10-16% alcohol by volume. Some varietals tend to have higher (for example Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon) or lower alcohol levels (Pinot Noir and many white varietals), but there is always some variation from producer to producer. Some wine falls outside of this range, for instance Port weighs in closer to 20%, while Muscat and Riesling are usually a bit below 10%.

Wine Style Guide

Light & Crisp

Light to medium bodied wines that are high in acid and light to medium fruit. Typically no oak.